Top Ten Sites To See In Paris With Children

Paris, aside from being known as the most romantic city in the world, is also known for having other significant attractions that are all a ‘must-see’ for every potential visitor especially for families. Here are top ten sites to see in Paris especially if you are traveling with the family and the children:

1. The Eiffel Tower. If there is one family vacation in Paris attraction that can serve as a synonym to describe the city, this would be it. Tourism studies say that the number of visitors who visit Paris just to see the tower reaches beyond six million. So, if you plan to be part of this huge statistic, it is important that you take the chance to take a ride on the lift to the top and be amazed of the city’s views that can only be considered as a once in a lifetime experience.

2. The Louvre. Built in 1973, it is not only iconic for being one of the most ancient museums in the entirety of Europe but also the place where you can find the famous ‘Mona Lisa’ painting.

3. Pompideu Centre. This attraction places second after Eiffel Tower in the most visited site’s list. It’s where you’ll find a great combination of modern art, concerts, cinema and others forms of entertainment.

4. Cite Des Science Et De L’Industrie. A huge science museum that was constructed on a former abattoir location. This is visited by over 2 ½ million tourists annually.

5. Musee D’Orsay. This is a former railway station that is almost as big as The Louvre that houses a wide collection of impressionist paintings.

6. Arc De Triomphe. A monument that is not as tall as the Eiffel Tower, hence making it still possible to reach the top. This arch is in commemoration of Napoleon’s victories and his accomplishments.

7. Notre Dame. Another gem of Paris that you must prepare to climb due to its being one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world. This is included in every top list of the city’s attractions.

8. The Sorbonne and Latin Quarter. The center of the ancient Latin Quarter where iconic thinkers in the era of 1257 and old has been developed such as Jean Pail Satre, Rene Descartes, and Simone de Beauvoir.

9. Sail Down the Seine. A one hour boat trip for every visitor to see the city in a totally different light especially with the historical yet intimate scenery where the water shimmer like lights in the night.

10. Disneyland Resort Paris. This giant is composed of two main theme parks: the entertainment hub and seven hotels. Opened in 1992, it receives around 15 million excited guests to pass through its doors each year.

Remember, these are just ten out of the many more sites that one can consider to visit to complete their ideal Paris family vacation. But making these your priority in your list would really make your family vacation to Paris such a bonding experience to remember for a lifetime.

Top Paris Area Sites to See

Ok, you’ve been wandering in Paris for a few days, but what’s outside the city limits to see?  When you vacation in Paris, you want to make sure that you have at least one day reserved for outside the city limits.

• Palace of Versailles - The famous former palace of French kings.  Recently it has unndergone a face lift and it’s a beautiful spot to spend a day.  Wandering through the gardens for garden lovers is a great break.
• Château de Vincennes - A large medieval castle nearby the Bois de Vincennes.  A definite great day trip!
• La Défense - The largest businessand economic  district in Europe.
• Stade de France - The 80,000 seater stadium in which France best known for the win in the 1998 edition of the FIFA World Cup.
• Disneyland Resort Paris - The largest theme park in Europe and worth it for all Disney fans.
• Saint Denis Basilica - The burial site of the past French monarchs.
• Château de Fontainebleau - One of the largest of the French royal châteaux it was built by Francis I
• Château de Rambouillet - The summer residence of French presidents.
• Parc de Sceaux - A park located close to the 17th century Château de Sceaux
• Barbizon - a French village home to the Barbizon School of Painting
• Château Villette- Poplar with tourists, the château was  built in the 18th century

If it’s a first time visit to Paris, I would recommend either the Palace of Versailees or the Château de Vincennes.  If more time is available, then you might branch out to some of the other wonderful choices.

If you have any further suggestions, please send them to me or leave a comment and we’ll make sure that we add them to our lists here.

A Paris Vacation at a Glance

Anytime you take a Paris vacation, you forget just how large the city really is.  There are so many nooks and crannies to explore that covering it in one visit is near impossible.  So here’s a quick and dirty overview of some of the areas in Paris that you might be interested in and want to add to your Paris travels. In the upcoming posts we’ll give more information on each of them to help with making your Paris travels easier.

• Place de la Bastille located in the 4th, 11th and 12th arrondissements on the right bank, it  is a district of great historical significance, not only for Paris, but for France, too.
• Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement, right bank is a seventeenth century garden-promenade-turned-avenue connecting the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. It is one of the many tourist attractions and a major shopping street of Paris.
• Place de la Concorde at the bottom  of the Champs-Élysées, built as the Place Louis XV site of the infamous guillotine. The Egyptian obelisk is Paris’ “oldest monument”.  The Place Vendôme  which is nearby is famous for its fashionable and deluxe hotels and its jewellers. Many famous fashion designers have had their salons in the square.
• Les Halles in the 1st arrondissement on the right bank was formerly Paris’ central meat and produce market, and, since the late 1970s, a major shopping centre around an important metro connection station. The original Les Halles was destroyed in 1971 and replaced by the Forum des Halles. The central market of Paris which is the biggest wholesale food market in the worldthen moved  to Rungis, located in the suburbs.
• Le Marais in the 3rd and 4th arrondissement is a trendy Right Bank district. You can a little bit of everything going on here.
• Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement, is located next to the Champs-Élysées.  The area is home to luxury  labels well known world wide such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy
• Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement on the right bank is a historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Montmartre has been well known as an area for artists and has many studios and cafés of many great artists in that area.
• Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement is a historic Left Bank area.  It is also famous for artists’ studios, music halls, and wonderful cafes.
• Avenue de l’Opéra in the 9th arrondissement on the right bank is located  around the Opéra Garnier.  It is the capital’s densest concentration of both department stores and offices. A few examples that are located in this area are the Printemps and Galeries Lafayette department stores, and the Paris headquarters of financial giants such as Crédit Lyonnais and American Express.
• Quartier Latin in the 5th and 6th arrondissements on the left bank is a twelfth-century scholastic center which used to stretch between the Left Bank’s Place Maubert and the Sorbonne campus.  Various higher-education establishments, such as the École Normale Supérieure, ParisTech, and the Jussieu university campus, make it a major educational centre in Paris. A lively area with many dining options and night life.
• Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement on the right bank is premier high-fashion districts, home to labels such as Hermès and Christian Lacroix.

There are more highlights to note and we will explore them as well in upcoming posts.  So, consider adding some of these to your Paris vacation to make it a really wonderful trip and experience.

Paris Vacation and Weather

When you are planning your Paris vacation, weather is one of the factors that you need to take into account.  Depending upon where you are coming from Paris might seem to have perfect weather or be very cold or humid in other months.

Winter in Paris (December - March) ranges from an average of 45F - 48F.  That’s much warmer than the northern states of the United States during those same months.  I’ve been to Paris in February and it was in the mid-60’s the entire time that we were there.  The huge plus of visiting during these months is that the number of tourists is remarkably small and you have easier and faster access to all the you want to see and do while you travel in Paris.  In addition, hotels and airfares are cheaper and there are alot of specials as well.

Spring in Paris (April - May) ranges from an average of 60F - 68F.  And without a doubt it is a lvely time of year when the profusion of flowers come in bloom and Lady Paris is at her prettiest.  Considered a shoulder season, you can frequently still get some good deals.

Summer in Paris (June - August) is the hottest and most humid time of year.  The temperatures range in the low to upper 70’s.  I’ve seen it much hotter than that during that time of year as well.  It is also the season when the most tourists arrive and Parisians disappear for the month of August and it seems as if almost everyone in Paris is a foreigner.

Fall in Paris (September - November) is also a shoulder season and frequently has better deals especially the later into the fall that you visit.  Weather during that time ranges from 71F - 51F.

The bottom line of  a Paris, France vacation is that you are unlikely to have to deal with freezing. frigid weather at any point in the year.  So make your plans, pack accordingly and if the weather changes, it’s a perfect excuse to go and buy yourself some Parisian clothes to wear and then bring home.

Paris Vacations and Cuisine - Crepes

When you embark on your Paris vacation, it is best if you can leave your traditional taste buds at home and savor some of the Parisian treats!  Long known for being the home of some of the best food in the world, Paris is also the home of some wonderful street vendors that mix up an incredible sweet crepe that you can get while wandering around the city.

These crepes are like a super thin pancake and layered on top is a variety of toppings depending upon your taste buds. Then quickly and elegantly wrapped the vendor presents it to you.  On our last trip to Paris, we experimented with every flavor and finally settled on our two top favorites.  Imagine bananas wrapped within a thin crepe, or chocolate and bananas, a sweet apple filling is also available.

While you might think that these are only a tourist treat, you will fine lines at some of the better ones filled with Parisians on lunch breaks or heading home.  That’s a sure sign that you’ve come across one that’s worth trying.

They make for a great mid-morning snack, after lunch treat or just about anytime.  My personal favorites are banana and chocolate and the lemon flavored one.  Let me know which ones you find work best for you!

Paris Travel - The Louvre

Formally called Musée du Louvre and officially called the Grand Louvre, it is known in english as the Louvre Museum.  A well known national monument, the museum is housed in what is the Palais du Louvre.  Situated on the right bank of the Seine it is one of the major attractions of those on a Paris vacation.  However, it is not for the faint of heart!  It is simply huge.  And to think that you might wander through it all in one visit is near impossible.

In addition, in recent years it is more difficult to enter the Louvre.  You now much go through a security process that is rather extensive for a museum and due to the security the lines have become extremely long.  In my experience I’ve found that the best times are first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon to avoid waits of up to one hour.  The plus of the security process is that the museum is somewhat less crowded during a visit.

The museum was made even more famous due to the filming of scenes from the Da Vinci code in the museum.  Here’s a piece of trivia for you to mention while there to your fellow Paris travel partners, the museum made $2.5 million for allowing those scenes to be filmed.

Perhaps the most famous of all portraits in the Louvre, is Mona Lisa.  While worth a view so that you can see her up close, the rest of the museum is actually more interesting.  The museum is broken up into several collections.  These include:

• Egyptian
• Greece, Etruscan and Roman
• Near East
• Islamic Art
• Decorative Art
• Paintings
• Prints and Drawing

So whatever your interest, you are sure to find a collection or two to enjoy during your visit.  I recommend one or two collections at most during a visit and save the rest for another visit.  My personal favorites are the Paintings and Egyptian collections and I’ve found that children enjoy both as well making it easier for families to tour the Louvre and enjoy it together.

Paris Travel - Musée d’Orsay

When in Paris on vacation, a stop at the Musée d’Orsay is a definite must for those that want to add some history and culture to their visit.  The museum is located on the left bank of the Seine and is located in a former rail station, the Gare d’Orsay.  It was converted into a museum in 1986 and now houses an impressive collection of works of art.  This stunning Beaux Art building is home to an incredible collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and photos.  What it is best known for is it’s wide collection of Impressionist works of art.

In one stop you can view Renoir, Cezanne, Degas and Monet and many others.  There are even some American impressionist on display there as well.  Even when traveling with kids, you are likely to be able to make it through these exhibits and this museum without much complaining.  Show your children the Pissaro piece which they will easily relate to from their own art works in school.

Since your are in Paris, view the Paris collection as well.  It will allow you to travel Paris through time and history.  With various works of art you can see the changes in Paris through the centuries.

While you don’t have to spend your entire Paris vacation in museums, at least a stop at the Musée d’Orsay will give you some insight and flavor into the art of Paris and it’s history.

Paris at Night By Taxi

Taking a Paris vacation is an exciting and wonderful adventure!  Sometimes getting everything into a trip is hard.  One way that I’ve found to cover a lot of ground that isn’t wearyiing to either me or the kids is taking a night tour by taxi.  Paris is the absolutely best city to take advantage of this experience.  After the clamor of rush hours is done, and you’ve had some dinner you might want to consider taking a taxi and doing some evening exploring.

Whether you hire a taxi yourself or you have the Conierge at your hotel obtain one for you, make sure that you have a list of places to cover in advance.  Also make sure that the driver is able to speak a lanaguage that you know or understand.  It makes for a better time and you will learn more as you wander around.  Asking the driver for something that he might receommend in the evening hours is also a way to see something that you either forgot or didn’t know about.

Make sure that you set the time limit that you wanted to spend and get an estimate of the cost in advance.  Despite what they say, taxi drivers have the abiity to do things of this nature for a fixed fee.  If they absolutely refuse you can either move on to another one or negotiate for at least some idea of what it will cost.  They simply aren’t going to be as busy at night and your half hour or 1 hour tour is a great bonus on a day!

The sit back and enjoy the ride!  With kids this is a wonderful way to begin to settle down from a hectic day of walking on little legs.  If you’ve got questions, ask them!  I’ve learned more from local drivers at times than any book or tour guide.  You might find that this becomes one of your favorite experiences on your Paris travel adventure.  I know that it was for me -

Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe

Without a doubt, wandering along the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Trionphe is one of my all time favorite ways to spend a few hours in Paris.  Now I realize that I am unlikely to ever be able to afford any real estate on the most expensive street in Europe, but that is ok, I just want to walk along and savor something that is quintessential Paris.  This broad avenue lined with beautiful trees and full of shops, cinemas, and the always present Parisian cafe.  You will pay extra to enjoy the view of others walking along the Champs-Élysées while you sip and munch on the daily selections but a few extra Euros or francs is worth it for the experience.

In order to fully enjoy this Most Beautiful Avenue in the World as the Parisians call it, you need to put on your walking shoes.  It runs about 1.25 miles from the Place de la Concorde through the 8th arrondissement to the Place de Charles de Gaulle with the Arc de Triomphe.  As you stroll from one end to the other, take time to window shop and browse the shops.  A few of my favorite Paris shops can be found in side streets off of the Champs-Élysées.  You can easily find wonderful linens, clothing and a variety of other Parisian treats to bring home with you.  One of Paris’ most known restaurants Foquet’s is located here. The street scene has changed in recent years with the arrival of some international chains. I remember being quite surprised to see Virgin Records and Abecrombie and Fitch on my last visit.  However, you can easily overlook those and stick to more traditional Paris shops and boutiques.

Located along the avenue for those looking for a place to stay is the Marriott Champs-Élysées. While part of the US based chain, it isn’t your usual run of the mill Marriott.  I stayed there for a few weeks one time and found it to be a great hotel with a wonderful air and impeccable service.   I would highly recommend it as an option for those looking for traditional hotels.

Like many places in a Paris vacation during high season the avaenue can be quite crowded.  So if you prefer less packed spaces time your arrival for early in the day or in the evening.  For those that like to run or powerwalk, it’s a great place to include in a morning or evening exercise program.

So while you are on your best Paris vacation, take some time to relax and enjoy a slice of Parisian life and wander down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.

Make Time for Notre Dame Cathedral

Without a doubt, no vacation to Paris is complete without a stop at Notre Dame, the gothic cathedral located on the Ile de la Cite.  It loomed large and darkly magnificent ahead as you crossed the bridge onto Ile de la Cite.  However, a recent cleaning in the last few years as it less dark than it had been.  The Cathedral is a working cathedral and the church for the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris.  The cathedral is an example of classic French Gothic style.

Notre Dame is a stop on your Paris vacation do savor.  Because not only do you want to explore the inside of the incredible cathedral, you also need to make time to wander around the outside as well.   Make sure to be nearby when the five bells chime. This is Paris’ version of the chiming of Big Ben in London. Seeing Notre Dame lit up in the evening is also a wonderful experience.  It is something that you can walk to depending upon which hotel you are staying in or as part of a night time ride through the city in a taxi.  It’s also a great place to have a picnic and take a break from a day’s worth of Paris sightseeing.

When considering when to visit Notre Dame, this is one of the stops on your Paris vacation that needs less planning them some others.  It is raree that there are long lines or waits to get into the cathedral.  For those interested in learning more about the church, audio tours are available at the cathedral.  If interested in guided tours one will find guides available throughout the day.

The cathedral is open every day from 8am to 6:45 pm and slightly later on the weekends.  Services schedules can be found online at Notre Dame’s website.

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